


Open Up My Eager Eyes (I'm Mister Brightside)

by Argiepoo2



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Sickfic, everyone cares about makoto except for makoto, hiro is the only responsible one here and that terrifies me, neither mondo nor taka have a clue what they're doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 23:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30130527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argiepoo2/pseuds/Argiepoo2
Summary: Makoto stands up (well, it's more of a stumble, really), and his vision swirls and spins like paint in water. He trips on nothing, and barely catches himself on the back of his desk chair. He takes a deep breath, inhaling until he can't anymore, and then blows it all out his mouth. The dull ache all over his body persists, and his knees shake slightly.'That's fine. This is fine.'he thinks, because he's never been the brightest.Makoto gets sick and decides not to tell anyone. This is a shortsighted plan.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi & Hagakure Yasuhiro, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo, Naegi Makoto & Everyone
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	Open Up My Eager Eyes (I'm Mister Brightside)

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up being a lot longer and a lot less about Makoto than originally planned, but fuck it, I still vibe with it so I'm posting it anyways.

Makoto's never been an early riser. He's used to staying up until moonlight streams through his blinds and then sleeping through breakfast the next day. Unlike his sister, who wakes up with the birds every morning, he could sleep until noon if someone just let him. He thinks he just needs more sleep than everyone else does; he's lost track of the number of times he's been scolded for falling asleep in class and missing something important.

Anyways, Makoto's used to waking up with a grumble and, more often than not, a dull headache. He's used to keeping his head down and pushing through no matter what his body says because someone has to pass his fourth period math test and doubts the teacher will allow him another retake.

"Ugh..."

Still, he feels like _shit_.

It's not like Makoto never gets sick. He gets sick pretty often, actually, but only sniffles and coughs, nothing detrimental. So this is probably just something on the worse end of that, enhanced by the fact that the sun isn't even up yet and there's a pounding in his head.

He's also soaked in sweat, which is... weird. He runs cold; he has to bundle up when he goes to sleep or else he wakes up shivering. But now his room feels hot and sticky, and he rolls over, hastily kicking his blanket off. The sudden movement makes him feel a little nauseous, and his body groans in pain.

_'Just a bad cold. Yeah, that sounds about right.'_

Makoto stands up (well, it's more of a stumble, really), and his vision swirls and spins like paint in water. He trips on nothing, and barely catches himself on the back of his desk chair. He takes a deep breath, inhaling until he can't anymore, and then blows it all out his mouth. The dull ache all over his body persists, and his knees shake slightly.

 _'That's fine. This is fine.'_ he thinks, because he's never been the brightest.

It takes a few seconds for his body to stop trembling, but when it does he sighs in relief, running a hand through his hair. Shaking his head slightly, he grabs his hoodie off the back of the desk chair, slipping it over his shoulders and taking slightly shaky steps towards the door. He has a bad habit of falling asleep in his clothes, but today he's grateful for that. He twists the knob on the door, peering out into the quiet hallway and taking another deep breath; it comes easier than the first one did.

_'See, it's not that bad. I bet I'll feel even better after I get some breakfast.'_

Spurred on by newfound confidence, he strolls to the dining hall, ignoring the way his vision flickers every few seconds and the way his knees almost give out once. Forcing a bright smile, he walks into the dining hall, ready to greet the day.

"Hey guys!"

A few familiar faces are huddled together on the same table. It's a Saturday, so any sane person is probably sleeping in, but a lot of his classmates aren't (sane, that is), so they're already up and running. Apparently, he's joining them today. Sayaka's giggling at some story Hina's telling, both of them as bright as ever, and Hiro is interjecting with statements that are probably completely unrelated, stealing strawberries from Hina's plate when she's not looking. Mondo and Taka sit a few seats away, shoulders pressed up against each other as they talk too loudly for this early in the morning, though occasionally Mondo will pause to lean over and correct Hina about something in the story she's telling. She socks him in the arm whenever he does.

The sight makes Makoto's forced smile a little more real, though it's cut off by a shiver. _'That's weird. Wasn't I hot earlier?'_

Brushing it off, he strolls over to the others, sitting down between Sayaka and Mondo. Hina brightens when she notices him. "Hi Makoto! You're up early!"

Makoto winces a little at her loud tone, but smiles anyway. "Yeah, I woke up earlier than usual, ha."

Mondo thumps him a little to hard on the back, grinning. "Heh, that's new! Usually we hafta drag ya out of yer room by the ankle!"

Hina rolls her eyes. "That's an exaggeration and you know it."

Mondo scoffs lightly. "Not by much."

Makoto shoots Mondo a look of mock hurt, and Mondo chuckles apologetically. Taka beams, folding his arms. "It's good to see you're becoming more punctual, Makoto! I'm glad you're taking my advice to heart!"

Makoto smiles softly, nodding and suppressing a shiver. Sayaka hands him a cup of hot chocolate, which he takes gratefully, but her eyebrows are knitted with worry. "Are you okay, Makoto? You seem... tired."

Makoto winces, knowing Sayaka's always been weirdly perceptive. But he can't tell her he might be sick, because he can't make her worry and he knows for a fact that she will. Sayaka's so sweet and caring, he can't make her waste that energy on someone like him. It's not that bad. He's fine.

"I'm fine, I just... didn't sleep well last night, y'know?" It's not a _lie_ , he had tossed and turned for hours before finally falling asleep. But Sayaka doesn't seem convinced, peering at him as though she might be able to read his mind (she might, actually). Makoto turns away, taking a sip of his cocoa in an effort to calm his swirling stomach and throbbing head. He suppresses another shiver.

Suddenly, a cold and calloused hand is pressed against his forehead, and he blinks in surprise.

"Woah dude, you're burning up!"

Hiro's voice is uncharacteristically quiet as he draws his hand back from Makoto's forehead and shakes it off. Makoto squints in confusion. "Eh...?"

"Yeah dude, I could fry an egg on your head. Don't you feel sick?"

Makoto takes a solid two seconds to register the question, so when he frantically shakes his head, it's probably not very convincing. Hina bounces up from her seat. "You're sick? How sick? Do we need to take you to the nurse?" She leans over the table, peering at him, and he leans back and bats her away, mind racing to come up with something that will get them off his back. They shouldn't be worrying over him. It's not that bad. He's fine.

"No, no, it's just... I dunno, it's not that bad, I'm fine."

Taka frowns slightly, but it's gone in a second. "Well, if you're sure, then there's no need to let a little illness get the better of you! Just keep powering through, I'm sure you'll feel better soon!" Taka's naturally loud voice isn't helping his headache, but the words bring some comfort. Maybe the others will listen to Taka, if they won't listen to him.

Mondo elbows Taka in the side, shaking his head. "Nah, you gotta get some fresh air. Whenever I got sick, my brother would take me on a bike ride, and I'd feel better in no time! Some wind will do you wonders, trust me."

Makoto shakes his head again, waving Mondo off. "No, I'll be fine. I just-" He's cut off by a sudden rush of nausea, and he bites back a groan. He needs to get out of here, now. "Um... I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick..." He stands up suddenly, jerking one thumb behind him.

Which is a mistake. The standing up suddenly part, that is.

The room swirls and dims, and Makoto stumbles backwards, losing his balance entirely. Mondo shouts, darting forward and catching him before he can hit the ground. Makoto shivers violently, clutching the sleeves of Mondo's jacket as he's slowly lowered to the floor.

"Makoto! Are you okay?"

"H-hey now, don't pass out on us or nothing!"

"Jesus, dude, warn a guy next time!"

Makoto feels like he's underwater, not quite registering the muted voices around him. He's almost gasping for air, but his lungs aren't filling like they're supposed to, making him dizzy and panicked. Everything's too hot and too cold at the same time, and all of the colors are melting together, burning into his eyes and skull and making him groan in pain.

He can barely register a coat being draped over his shoulders as he's gently lifted up before the all of the colors fade to black.

"I mean seriously, ya can't just collapse like that, ya scared the shit outta me!"

"Language, Mondo!"

"Sorry bro."

Mondo cradles the back of Makoto's head as gently as he can as he scolds him, and a flicker of panic rushes through him when the smaller boy doesn't respond. He shakes Makoto, softly, then harder, before pressing two fingers to his neck, holding his breath.

There's a pulse, frantic and shallow, and Mondo blows out his breath through his teeth. Hina bounces nervously next to him. "What happened? Is he okay?"

Hiro pats Hina's head reassuringly, adjusting the jacket he had laid carefully on Makoto's shoulders. "I think he passed out. Poor guy, he must have something bad. Mondo, take him back to his room, okay? I'm gonna go get some stuff from mine." There's an easy smile on his face, but Mondo can see the panic in his eyes. He nods, knowing that calling it out will do more harm than good; Hiro needs to take charge in situations like this, or he'll freak out.

Giving the unconscious Makoto one more soft pat on the back, Hiro backs up a few steps. "Hina, can you come with me?" Hina glances at Makoto indecisively, then nods. Hiro shoots Sayaka a look. "You wanna come too?"

Sayaka shakes her head firmly. "No, you go on ahead. I'll go with Mondo and Taka."

Hiro nods, then hurries off for his room, Hina hot on his heels. Taka places a firm hand on Mondo's shoulder, his tight grip giving away his anxiety. "Well! Let us go! Quickly!" His voice is loud, but it falters near the end. He turns on one heel and walks towards Makoto's dorm at a brisk pace. Sayaka strolls after him, glancing behind her to make sure Mondo plans on coming.

Mondo pulls Makoto closer to his chest, and follows.

The air is tense and quiet. Mondo strolls along the familiar path to the dorms, trying not to jostle the sleeping boy in his arms. When they arrive, he goes to rifle through Makoto's pockets for the key, but Sayaka pushes the door open without hesitation.

Taka frowns at that. "He shouldn't be so careless..."

Sayaka huffs out a laugh, flicking on a lamp that's sitting on the night stand, illuminating the room with dim light. "I keep telling him that, but he always says that someone might need him, so he leaves it open. He's really stubborn when he wants to be." She smiles fondly, and Mondo finds himself with a similar look on his face.

He walks over to the bed and carefully lowers the boy in his arms onto it. He hangs Hiro's jacket over the back of the desk chair, then pulls Makoto's shoes off, wondering vaguely if he ever bothers to tie them, and sets them down at the foot of the bed. Sayaka picks the blanket off the floor and pulls it over him, running a soft hand through his hair before drawing back. Taka, who's been standing stiffly at the door, fidgets uncomfortably.

Mondo glances at him. "Hey bro, could ya get a damp towel from the bathroom?"

Taka perks up, saluting. "Ah! Yes, of course!"

Mondo nods, chuckling. "Thanks." 

Taka nods, the scurries off, clearly happy to have something to do. _'He's probably never had to take care of someone sick.'_

Mondo blinks. That's probably true, actually. From what he's heard, Taka's reaction to being sick is to just ignore it until it goes away. He's probably way out of his depth; and if there's one thing Mondo knows about Taka, it's that he hates not knowing what to do.

Well, at least he's not alone. Mondo's _been_ taken care of before, by other members of his gang, but he's never been the caregiver in this scenario. That job always went to one of the older members. Seeing Makoto curled up in bed, looking smaller and weaker than he has any right to... Mondo can't say he's not panicking.

"Gosh, Hiro wasn't lying, he's got a really high fever."

Mondo turns around to see that Sayaka's pulled the desk chair up next to the bed and is brushing hair out of Makoto's closed eyes. He nods a little nervously, looking away. "Yeah. Well, Hiro'll probably bring a thermometer along with whatever else he's getting."

Sayaka hums softly. "I wouldn't count on it. But Hina might."

Mondo chuckles.

Hiro rifles through his desk drawer with one hand, holding a thick book open with the other. He mutters under his breath to himself. "Let's see, tea leaves... maybe some peppermint for flavor... no, no, Makoto doesn't like peppermint, does he. Hina, do you think they have honey and lemon in the kitchen?"

"I know they do. The honey's kinda sticky sweet, though."

"Like normal honey levels of sticky sweet or unnatural levels of sticky sweet?"

"Definitely unnatural. It tastes like plastic."

Hiro grimaces, pulling a small jar of honey from the drawer. He hesitates for a moment, then grabs a spell jar as well. If Makoto's already feeling like crap, a room full of bad energy probably won't help matters.

He checks the book one more time, the shuts it and sets it down next to his gathered supplies. He pockets the spell jar, then hands the other jars to Hina, who takes them without fuss, though she does bounce nervously. "Are we making tea?"

Hiro nods, nabbing two candles off his nightstand as he heads for the door. "Yep! My own recipe, even!"

Hina raises an eyebrow dubiously. "Your own, huh?"

Hiro punches her arm lightly. "Hush. It's in the book, so it's mine."

"Hm, alright."

"Shut up."

Hina skips ahead of him as they make their way to the kitchen, and Hiro follows, hot on her heels.

Celeste is in the kitchen, sitting daintily on the counter and sipping from one of her porcelain teacups. She's forgone her usual attire, and is instead wearing a black blouse and a pair of dress pants. Hiro gives her a mock salute he enters, and she nods in acknowledgement. "Hello Hagakure. Hello Asahina."

Hina waves at her cheerfully, grabbing the electric kettle off the counter and walking over to the sink to fill it up. Celeste raises an eyebrow. "You two are making tea? That is certainly unusual."

Hina nods, flicking off the water. "Yeah, it's for Makoto!"

"Makoto? Why does Makoto need tea?"

Hiro grabs a pair of lemons out of the crate in the middle of the kitchen with one hand and rubs the back of his neck with the other. "He's got a pretty nasty bug, actually... so I figured I'd make him some of the stuff I make myself when I get sick, y'know?" He puts his free hand on his hip, smiling a little more proudly than he probably has any right to.

Celeste's blank expression flickers with something that might be concern, but it's gone before he can be sure. "Ah. To be completely honest, I wasn't aware he _could_ get sick."

Hina nods seriously as she sets the kettle down on the table, along with the tea leaves Hiro gave her. She reaches for the tea strainer, but Celeste grabs it first, snatching the tea leaves and turning on the kettle. Hina folds her arms haughtily. "Ugh, rude. Anyway, I think he told me once that he gets sick all the time, but it's always just, like, colds and stuff. I don't think he expected to get this sick either."

Celeste hums, measuring tea leaves into the tea strainer with the precision and focus of someone who cares an awful lot about things like the amount of tea leaves in their tea strainer. Hiro bites back a snicker, grabbing a kitchen knife to cut his lemons in half while Hina hoists herself onto the counter top. Celeste drums her fingers on the table, watching the kettle as though it might explode. "What are his symptoms? You make it sound as though it's... drastic."

Hiro hesitates, then answers a little too quickly. "Well - um, he's got a pretty high fever..."

"He passed out in the dining hall."

"What?" Celeste whirls around, look of panic flashing across her face, before she clears her throat and recomposes herself. "Ah, pardon me. That is... rather unfortunate. Have you taken him to the nurse?"

Hiro shoots a quick glare at Hina, who looks back at him with confusion, before he turns back to Celeste. "I was just gonna get Taka to pick up a thermometer and maybe some pain meds. Makoto doesn't like going to the nurses office."

The kettle whistles suddenly, and Celeste dips the strainer into the water and begins stirring it slowly. "Hm. I wasn't aware of that. Well, regardless of whether he enjoys it or not, be sure to take him if his fever gets too high."

"Of course."

They fall into a calm silence, the illusion of peace only broken by the even drumming of nails on the table and the anxious kicking of sneakers against the side of the counter. Hiro reaches into the high cabinet, pulling out his favorite ceramic mug. He takes the kettle from Celeste, who pulls out the strainer a little reluctantly, and pours the greenish liquid into the mug. Celeste hovers over his shoulder, silently critiquing his every move, and he can't help but feel a little offended as he squeezes lemon juice into the mug.

He closes his eyes as he stirs the honey, concentrating on his intent, though his mind wanders slightly. It always does; he's never been very good at focusing. He feels Celeste start several sentences next to him, and is both grateful and surprised that she never finishes any of them. To be fair, they don't sit there for long, maybe twenty seconds at most, before Hiro opens his eyes and tosses the spoon he was using to the side, picking the mug up and walking off. Hina, who was staring blankly at the wall, perks up and hops off the counter to lead the way.

"One moment."

Hiro turns around to see Celeste, with her arms folded and an evasive expression on her face. "I... tell Naegi to stay on his feet. He's one of the only sufferable people in the wretched school." She says it with a fondness she doesn't usually lace her thinly-veiled insults with.

Hiro smiles, and nods.

Hina skids to a stop once they're out of earshot, turning back towards Hiro and peering at him suspiciously. Hiro sidesteps her neatly, holding the mug of tea in the air, and she falls into step with him, jogging to keep up with his long strides.

"What was that about? Why didn't you want me to tell Celeste what happened?"

Hiro spins on his heel and begins walking backwards, gesturing vaguely. "I mean, it's just rude to freak someone out like that."

Hina raises an eyebrow dubiously. "Freak out? Celeste doesn't _freak out_ , Hiro. She's basically a robot. Or a china doll, maybe; that fits more."

Hiro shoves his open hand in his pocket. "Well it's not _obvious_ or anything. That's the whole problem. She'll be worried sick about Makoto, but her pride won't let her come and visit to make sure he's okay. We'll have to report back to her later..." He trails off, rubbing his chin. Hina's brow knits together.

"I... wouldn't have noticed. Wait, hold on, do you do this kinda thing for all of us?"

"What kinda thing?"

"This!" She gestures in Hiro's general direction. "This kinda thing!"

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

Hina grumbles as they arrive at Makoto's dorm. Hiro nudges the door open, stepping inside.

The room is dark, and Hina flicks the lights on instinctively. Three separate voices protest angrily, and she flicks it back off apologetically.

In the dim lighting, she can barely make out the shapes of the room's occupants. Makoto is tucked into his bed, still sound asleep by the looks of it, though he seems restless. Sayaka is sitting in a desk chair that's been pulled up next to the bed, humming softly and glancing at Makoto every few seconds. Taka is perched on the desk, legs crossed, watching Mondo pace the room anxiously.

He halts in his tracks when the two come in.

"Took ya long enough."

Mondo stops pacing suddenly, and Taka tears his eyes away from him, turning towards Hiro and Hina. The light from the hallway illuminates the dark room, making them look more like dark silhouettes than anything, at least until Hiro closes the door behind him, plunging the room into shadow once again.

Hiro's silhouette wanders over to the bed, glancing at Makoto as he sets something down on the nightstand. It smells like green tea and lemon. Hiro looks at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. "How is he?"

Sayaka looks up at him. "He's cooled down a bit. Did you bring a thermometer?"

Hiro pulls something out of his pocket, fiddling with it. "Nah, sorry, I was gonna have Taka grab one." The pocketed item turns out to be a candle, flickering to life. Hiro grins proudly, setting it down next to the tea.

Taka looks at it, then stands up, saluting on instinct. "Of course. I was planning on getting one anyway." He makes a point to whisper, though he's aware that it's probably not as quiet as a whisper traditionally is. Hiro gives him a big smile, patting him on the back as he lights another candle and sets it down next to the first.

"Alright! Get some pain killers too while you're at it, okay?"

Taka nods, standing up and brushing himself off as he walks out. He has to admit, the stark white lights of the hallway hurt his eyes a little after being in the dark room for so long.

He has to think for a moment in order to remember where the nurse's office is, since he never goes. And then, as he walks, he thinks about other things, like the reason he never goes to the nurse's office in the first place.

If he's being completely honest, he doesn't quite know. He just never needed to, he supposes. He's always been able to push through whatever illness happened to befall him, simply because he's always had more important things to focus on than being sick. Even when he's... really, _really_ sick.

It's a talent he prides himself on. He wonders if he should.

The nurse's office is empty at first glance, but a second sweep of the place reveals one of the upperclassmen asleep on one of the cots, looking positively exhausted. Taka tries to be as quiet as possible as he makes his way to the shelf where they keep the basic medicines, which is hard to do when wearing boots, but he manages.

He rifles through the bottles on the shelf, eventually pulling out one with a familiar label. He used to have severe migraines, and these things worked wonders. He doesn't have them as much anymore, and when he does, they're not that bad, so he stopped using them. _'Still, I suppose every cloud has a silver lining.'_

He pockets the medicine, then looks around for a thermometer, before grabbing one off the desk in the corner. He pauses, glancing at the sleeping upperclassmen indecisively, then settles for writing a quick note detailing where the supplies have gone. He doesn't want her worrying when she wakes up, but she really looks like she needs some sleep.

He hesitates when he exits the nurse's office, placing a fist to his chin in thought. He wants to get something to help Makoto feel better, and he knows that medicine doesn't always work for everyone the way it's supposed to.

_'Makoto hasn't disclosed many of his interests to us... I would get him a cup of tea, but Hiro already has...'_

His gaze drifts to the right, and he brightens with a sudden idea. _'I'll get him a book! That's sure to cheer him up!'_ Books always cheer _him_ up, anyway.

He strolls towards the library, spurred on by newfound determination, and pushes open the heavy oak doors as he walks inside.

The Hope's Peak library is startlingly small, and gives off the impression of having been built by a wizard on a rather tight budget. It always seems to have the the exact books you're looking for, and not a single page more. Taka's pretty sure the mystery section was built with one very specific person in mind.

_'Speak of the devil...'_

Byakuya is sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner, perched upon it as though being graded for his posture, reading a leather bound book and sipping coffee out of a porcelain teacup Taka recognizes from Celeste's personal cabinet in the kitchen. He glances up at the sound of footsteps, but Taka ignores him, turning towards a nearby bookshelf and rifling through its contents. He can feel eyes on the back of his head.

"It's not often you so clearly don't know what you're doing. Did you lose your way while looking for textbooks?"

Taka suppresses the urge to roll his eyes, instead turning around and fixing on his usual determined smile. "Ah, Byakuya. I suppose it is rather unusual for me, isn't it? But that is only because I'm here for unusual reasons."

Byakuya raises an eyebrow, taking another sip from his coffee. "Oh? Do tell."

Taka can feel a prick of sarcasm hidden in those words, but he ignores it. "I'm getting a book for Makoto! Unfortunately, I'm not well aware of his tastes, so I'm somewhat lost. You wouldn't happen to know what he enjoys reading, would you?"

Byakuya scoffs. "That boy wouldn't know taste if it hit him over the head with Shakespeare."

"Well, that's a little rude."

Byakuya waves him off. "Why is he not picking up his own book? Is he too indolent? It wouldn't surprise me, I suppose."

Take gets a strange sense of satisfaction from knowing more than Byakuya. It's because of this that he doesn't answer, instead giving a noncommittal hum and going back to searching for a suitable book. He pulls out one with a fantasy scene on the cover, drawn in a rather pleasing art style. It's the only fantasy book on the shelf, he notes.

Behind him, Byakuya sets his coffee down. "Hey. Answer me."

Taka opens the book and begins reading the first page, not turning around. "Hm? What was the question?"

Byakuya grits his teeth audibly, and Taka makes a mental note to tell Mondo about this later. "Why can't Naegi get his own book?"

Taka glances over his shoulder, eyes widening in mock realization. "Ah! He's asleep, at the moment."

Byakuya rolls his eyes. "Still? Well, I suppose that's not all that unusual for him."

Taka snaps the book shut, tucking it under his arm. "No, I suppose it isn't."

He goes to leave, but as he does, Byakuya opens his mouth as if to say something. Taka, being the polite person that he is, stops to listen.

Though, whatever he means to say, Byakuya sure does seem to be having a hard time mustering up the will to actually say it. He closes his book halfway, fiddling with the corner of the page. "It _is_ usual, correct? You speak as though there's something else I should know about."

Taka tilts his head at the roundabout question, before realizing that this is most likely Byakuya's way of asking if Makoto's alright. He decides to spare the poor man. "He's just a little bit ill. Nothing serious, I don't think."

Byakuya relaxes visibly. It's almost amusing. "Hmph. Well, tell him to stop being such a fool and get over it already."

"I will most certainly not tell him that, he _will_ take it to heart."

Byakuya crosses his legs, opening his book again. "Hmph."

"Don't worry, I'll give him your good wishes for you."

"That is _not_ what I meant."

"Sure it isn't. Good day!"

"Hmph."

Taka bites back a smile as he walks out, boots clicking all down the hall.

Sayaka's always had an unusually high sense of empathy, to the point where other's emotions tend to clutter her own. It's wonderfully helpful some of the time, and incredibly annoying the rest of the time.

All this to say, she likes to think she's very good at spotting when Makoto is upset or angry, even when he brushes it off as unimportant (which is too often, if she's being honest). But as she grows better at reading him, he grows better at hiding things from her, and it's frustrating because she doesn't know _why_. What point is there in refusing to let her help him? Does he think she'll mock him? Or is it something else...?

She stares down at his sleeping form, curled up in the blankets with a damp rag resting on his head, unblinking even as worry tugs at the corners of her mind. _'Don't you trust me?'_

She shakes her head and looks away, her eyes landing on Hina, who stares at her through the flickering shadows as though she's a knot to be untangled, then jolts when she realizes she's been noticed. "A-ah! Sorry..."

Sayaka shakes her head, smiling softly. "It's okay. Thinking about something?"

Hina shakes her head, then shrugs, then nods. "Yeah. Well, I mean, kinda. It's just... do you think he just, like... didn't know he was sick? I mean, I once thought I was fine after training, then I fell down the stairs, so I can't really judge, but..." She trails off, her thoughtful expression returning, though this time it's directed at Makoto.

"Maybe he knew he was sick, but didn't wanna tell anyone cause he didn't want them to think he couldn't take care of himself. I used to do that a lot. But I'm not Makoto, so I'm probably wrong." Mondo avoids their gaze rather obviously, staring pointedly at the door. Sayaka narrows her eyes slightly.

Hina tilts her head, seemingly considering it. "Hm, maybe... I dunno, though. Hiro, what do you think?"

Hiro perks up at the sound of his name, then shrugs, going back to shuffling the deck of cards in his hand. "Dunno. Guess we'll ask him when he wakes up."

Hina frowns, like she was expecting more then that, but drops it and joins Mondo in staring at the door. Sayaka peers at Hiro, waiting for an additional statement, but doesn't get one.

She's always been a little mystified by Hiro. He doesn't show it often, but when it comes to people, he's smarter than her. Sayaka knows people, but Hiro _understands_ them. She guesses he makes up for it by not understanding much of anything else, except for maybe herbal remedies.

The door opens quietly, and Taka slips inside and closes it behind him. Sayaka turns to look as he sets down what seems to be a book and a pill bottle on the desk Mondo's sitting on, then strolls over to the side of the bed, holding a small thermometer. He frowns slightly when he sees Makoto. "Still asleep, then?"

Sayaka nods, and Taka purses his lips, pressing the thermometer to Makoto's forehead and holding it there. Mondo pokes his head over Taka's shoulder, resting his elbow on top of his head. "Stopped by the library, eh?"

Taka nods, seemingly fine with his personal space being invaded. "Mhm. Byakuya was there."

Hina gasps melodramatically. "How did you survive?"

Taka chuckles softly. "Well, it appears if you simply don't tell him anything, he'll only get more and more frustrated as time goes on. It's quite difficult to be intimidating when you don't have the upper hand."

Hina's eyes widen, and she tears a piece of paper out of the notebook on the nightstand. She turns to Sayaka with a serious look on her face. "You got a pen?"

Hiro cackles, and Sayaka bites back a laugh, digging through her pockets a pulling out a battered gel pen. "I mean, it might be dead by now, but here!"

Hina snatches it out of her hand and begins scribbling something down on the paper. Mondo opens his mouth, a witty comment probably on the tip of his tongue, but the thermometer gives a sudden beep, and everyone turns expectantly. Taka peers at the numbers, then blinks and tosses it to the side. "100.8 degrees. Not too bad, then."

There's a collective sigh of relief, and Mondo slumps back against the desk. Taka hops up next to him, crossing his legs.

After a moment, Hina hands Sayaka's pen back to her, and Sayaka takes it, twirling it around in her fingers. "So, what else did Byakuya say?"

For the second time today, Makoto wakes up with a pounding headache and a swirling nausea in his gut. _'Maybe I'll start keeping a tally.'_

He chuckles slightly at that thought, then hears the faint sound of shuffling around him, which makes him pause. Now that he thinks about it, he's not really sure where he is. _'Did I go back to my room at some point? This kinda feels like my bed, I guess.'_

He feels a soft tap on his shoulder. "Hey dude, you good?"

Makoto mumbles something even he can't make out, lifting his head up slightly, before groaning and dropping it back onto the pillow. Hiro's voice feels far away, but he can't tell if that's because he's being quiet or because he's sick. Maybe a little bit of both. A different hand runs through his hair. "Makoto? Are you awake?"

Makoto gestures vaguely in Sayaka's direction, hoping he gets the message across. He waits a minute, then rolls over slowly, squinting at the ceiling.

It takes him a moment to register anything, but he knows he's in his dorm... maybe. He's not really sure; all the dorms look the same, after all, and he's too groggy to pick out the fine details. Either way, he's in somebody's dorm, tucked into their bed, and Hiro and Sayaka are here with him. The lighting is dim and flickers every now and then, and the faint smell of green tea hangs in the air.

A face suddenly appears in his line of vision, peering at him with something he can't quite put his finger on. "C'mon, say something! Are you sleepwalking?"

He huffs out a laugh. "Hey, Hina..."

A smile spreads across her face, and she sits back. "Hey Makoto! How'd you sleep?"

He closes his eyes again. "Hm, alright, I guess..." It's warm under the covers, but in a good way, and it smells nice. He doesn't feel all that bad, all things considered. "Where am I...?"

"Yer room, dumbass. Ya passed out in the dining hall, and I carried ya here."

"Well, you could have said it in a nicer way than that."

 _'Jeez, how many people are in this room?'_ he thinks, briefly, before his brain spikes with urgency. _'Crap, I passed out!'_

He shoots up, ignoring the way the room seems to sway like a boat on the waves. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I should've just stayed in my room and—"

"Hey, hey, shit dude, relax."

"Seriously, I-I'm sure I'm fine, you didn't have to—"

Mondo grips his shoulders and shakes him a little, effectively cutting him off. "Dude, what the fuck are ya talkin' about? You were boilin', man, give yerself a break." His eyebrows are knitted together, and his eyes flash with something Makoto still can't make out, but now that he thinks about it, it might be concern.

He opens his mouth to say something, but feels Sayaka's hand start to run through his hair again, and the words die in his throat. There are too many sets of eyes on him, and he slumps back against his pillow in an attempt to hide from them all.

It's silent for a moment, but Hiro's the one to break it. When he speaks, his words are slow and even, like he thought carefully about each one before he said it. "Hey, it's not like you don't deserve to be taken care of, or anything. We're all friends, remember? That's the kinda stuff we do. Now, do you want some tea? It might be a little cold by now, but hey, what can you do."

Sayaka's hand stills, and Makoto tenses under the sudden drop of energy in the room. Hiro holds up a ceramic mug, wearing a poor imitation of an easy smile on his face, and Hina leans forward with what is definitely concern, no matter how much he wishes it wasn't. "Hey, do you... do you really think that?"

Instead of answering, he props himself up with one arm and takes the mug from Hiro's hands, busying himself with pretending to drink from it. He doesn't get very far before Sayaka's hand drops from his hair and gently tilts his head up to look at her.

Her expression is piercing in a way that seems to see right through him, but the sharpness is dulled by an overwhelming sort of sadness. He can't bear to look at her for long. Thankfully, he doesn't have to.

Sayaka pulls him into a hug, and he feels Hiro swoop in and nab the mug from his hands so he doesn't spill it all over the carpet. Hands now free, Makoto reluctantly nudges her away from him. "H-hey... I'm gonna get you sick..."

It's just an excuse, really, but Sayaka pulls back a little anyway, and Makoto curses himself for shivering from the sudden lack of warmth. Mondo leans forward, trying to meet his eyes. "Hey, dude... ya got somethin' ya wanna talk about?"

Makoto looks away, one hand still clinging to Sayaka's sleeve. "No, it's just... I mean..." He searches for words, but comes up empty. He sighs softly. "You shouldn't have to worry about me like this... there's a million better things you could be doing, I bet. I'm not..." He trails off, his hand dropping from Sayaka's sleeve. _Worth your time_ , he doesn't say, because he's already said too much.

"You're so fucking stupid."

Makoto flinches, and there's the muffled sound of Mondo being hit on the arm. "Mondo!"

Mondo rubs his arm, hissing apologetically. "No, not like that! Just, I mean..." He gestures vaguely, rubbing the back of his neck. "Who cares what we _could_ be doin'? The weather's shitty outside anyways—and we wouldn't just leave you in your room like assholes. Don't ya get it? Yer the... I dunno, the sun of the group. It wouldn't be as fun without you there."

Makoto blinks, then blinks again, then wonders if he's hearing things, or maybe dreaming. His confusion must be written all over his face, because Taka salutes suddenly. "I agree! You certainly do bring a sense of joy to our... somewhat chaotic adventures!"

Hina chuckles, cracking her knuckles absentmindedly. "You could say that again."

Makoto checks his fingers, just to make sure he has the right number, then looks around at his gathered friends. "Really...?"

"Yeah!"

"Sure thing, dude."

"Of course!"

Sayaka doesn't answer, but instead pulls him into another hug, holding him in a way that makes it seem like she doesn't plan on letting go anytime soon. Makoto nudges her, protesting weakly. "Wait, no, I might have the flu or something—"

He's cut off suddenly when Hina tackles him as well, ducking under his open arm and squeezing him tightly. Makoto goes to protest again, but Mondo ruffles his hair, chuckling, and he sighs. Sure, he might be contagious, but he's _tired_ , and he just wants to rest. He leans slightly into Sayaka, wrapping his arm around Hina. Taka sits gingerly at the foot of his bed, and Hiro hands him back the mug of tea, with a much more real smile this time.

Makoto finds himself smiling back.

**Author's Note:**

> _Jealousy,_
> 
> _Turning saints into the sea,_
> 
> _Swimming through sick lullabies,_
> 
> _Choking on your alibis,_
> 
> _But it's just the price I pay,_
> 
> _Destiny is calling me,_
> 
> _Open up my eager eyes,_
> 
> _Cause I'm Mister Brightside!_


End file.
